I stood frozen in ce as Bryce ckthorne strode into the Great Hall. From the gasps around me, I wasn''t the only one surprised by this turn of events. But my shock came from a different ce—I knew this man. Not as Dashiell''s brother, but as Jeffrey Anderson.


    "Knight," he said with a smirk, his voice hauntingly familiar. "It''s been a while."


    Thest time I''d seen Jeffrey, he''d been a prideful junior alchemist at the Eldoria Traditional Chinese Medicine Association. We''dpeted once, and his humiliating defeat had sent him storming away with promises of revenge.


    But the man before me now barely resembled that person. Jeffrey—or Bryce, whoever he truly was—looked gaunt, with hollow cheeks and dark circles under his eyes. His skin had a sickly pallor that not even his expensive robes could disguise.


    "Jeffrey Anderson," I said, keeping my voice level. "Or should I call you Bryce ckthorne now?"


    Heughed, a brittle sound that echoed through the hall. "Jeffrey Anderson was a worthless nobody. I prefer my real name."


    The crowd murmured in confusion. Clearly, this twist wasn''t part of anyone''s expectations.


    Mariana Valerius raised her hand, silencing the spectators. "If the candidates are ready, thepetition will begin."


    I bowed to her, then turned back to Jeffrey. "What happened to you?" I asked quietly.


    His eyes shed with hatred. "You happened to me, Knight. You shattered my pride that day. Made me realize I needed power at any cost."


    "So you went to the ckthornes?"


    "They recognized my talent, unlike you and those other fools." His smile turned cruel. "They gave me resources beyond imagination. Techniques that would make your primitive methods look like child''s y."


    I noticed then what I hadn''t seen before—the subtle tremor in his hands, the beads of sweat on his forehead despite the cool temperature of the hall. Whatever "techniques" the ckthornes had taught him were taking a physical toll.


    Mariana''s voice cut through our exchange. "Competitors will now begin the refining process. Each will create one pill of their choosing. You have three hours."


    Two identical workstations had been set up in the center of the hall, each with a furnace and an array of ingredients. I moved to one, Jeffrey to the other.


    "Watch closely," Jeffrey sneered as we took our positions. "Your victory over me was thest thing you''ll ever celebrate."


    I ignored his taunt and focused on my preparations. For thispetition, I would refine the Nine Transformation Pill—a challenging but powerful creation I''d perfected during my recent training.


    Jeffrey reached into his robes and withdrew a small, ornate box. When he opened it, a collective gasp rose from the audience.


    Insidey a flickering blue me, dancing above a crystalline base.


    "Blue Spirit Fire," Fifth Elder whispered from his seat. "A rare treasure from ancient times. The ckthornes must truly want this position to part with such an heirloom."


    The blue me cast eerie shadows across Jeffrey''s face as he ced it beneath his furnace. His hands moved with practiced precision, selecting herbs and measuring ingredients with expert care.


    I had to admit—his skill had improved dramatically. This wasn''t the same sloppy alchemist I''d defeated before.


    But as I ignited my own furnace and began my work, I pushed those thoughts aside. Thispetition wasn''t just about bing an Elder anymore. It was about proving that true skill couldn''t be bought with family connections or shortcuts.


    For the next two hours, we worked in focused silence. The hall remained hushed, observers leaning forward in their seats as our pills began taking form. Jeffrey''s blue me gave him a clear advantage—spiritual fire could enhance a pill''s potency tenfold.


    I''d have topensate with perfect technique.


    As we entered the final hour, I sensed Jeffrey''s gaze on me. I nced up to see him watching my progress, his expression a mix of contempt and—was that fear?


    "Your technique has improved," he conceded grudgingly. "But it won''t be enough."


    I returned to my work without responding. The Nine Transformation Pill required absolute concentration in its final stages.


    But Jeffrey wasn''t done talking.


    "You know what happens if I fail today?" he asked, his voice lower now. "The ckthornes won''t have any use for me anymore."


    I looked up again. Something in his tone had changed—the bravado cracking to reveal genuine dread.


    "That was your choice," I replied.


    "Was it?" His hands trembled more violently now. "When you''ve tasted real power, there''s no going back. They promised me everything—position, respect, wealth. All I had to do was defeat you."


    The Blue Spirit Fire beneath his furnace flickered suddenly, as if responding to his distress.


    "Careful," I warned, noticing the fluctuation. "That fire—"


    "I know how to control it!" he snapped, but paned his voice.


    As my pill entered its final transformation, emitting a golden glow, Jeffrey''s control over his me wavered further. The blue fire surged unpredictably, licking at his ingredients with too much intensity.


    Ipleted my final step, drawing the furnace''s energy into perfect bnce. My Nine Transformation Pill rose from the crucible, glowing withpleted potency.


    A cry of frustration came from Jeffrey as his herbs ckened. The Blue Spirit Fire had grown too hot, incinerating his creation in seconds.


    "No!" he screamed, trying desperately to salvage what remained.


    But it was toote. His pill was ruined.


    Mariana rose from her seat, examining both our stations. "Liam Knight has sessfully refined a Nine Transformation Pill of exceptional quality," she announced. "The position of Elder is awarded to him."


    A cheer erupted from the crowd, but I found no joy in the victory. Not when I saw the terror spreading across Jeffrey''s face.


    "You don''t understand," he whispered, backing away from his furnace. "They''ll discard me now. I''m nothing without this position."


    The Blue Spirit Fire, no longer controlled by his alchemy, began to climb up his sleeves.


    "Jeffrey!" I moved toward him, but it was toote.


    The blue mes engulfed him, clinging to his body like living things. But instead of burning him, they seemed to sink into his skin, disappearing beneath the surface. His eyes bulged in horror as blue veins spread across his face. <var ss="phantom-imprint">S*po@t& an er!r.or&?+ Vi-si#t* the ori*gin.a&l post on M#&V%LE&M%PY!&-R.</var>


    "No—this wasn''t supposed to happen," he gasped. "The fire... it''s consuming me from inside!"


    The hall erupted in chaos as Guild members scrambled back from the horrifying spectacle. Jeffrey doubled over, his body contorting as the Blue Spirit Fire coursed through his system.


    "Help me!" he screamed, his eyes finding mine. "Knight, please!"


    I rushed toward him, but Mariana''s voice cut through the panic. "Stay back! Blue Spirit Fire can''t be extinguished by conventional means!"


    Jeffrey straightened suddenly, his eyes now glowing with the same blue as the fire. "I don''t want to die," he whispered, looking at his trembling hands, now wreathed in blue me. "I don''t want to die!"


    With a howl of desperation, he lunged at me, fists zing with spiritual fire.


    "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"